August 18, 2010 — James Atkinson, Hawley Bennett-Awad, Jessica Phoenix and Karen Laidley topped each of their respective divisions at the 10th annual Event at Rebecca Farm, held in Kalispell, Montana, USA, July 21–24, 2011.

Two-time Olympian and 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG) team silver medalist Hawley Bennett–Awad of Langley, BC, rode her WEG partner Gin & Juice, the 11-year-old bay Thoroughbred mare owned by the rider and Linda Paine. The pair added only 0.8 cross country time faults and four jumping faults to their dressage score to finish with 53.4 penalties for the win in the CIC 3* division.

“Ginny was super. Rebecca Farm is one of my favourite events, but it is the toughest with Novice and Training cross country going at the same time as our dressage,” said Bennett-Awad. “I had a great trot tour and an overall good dressage test. Our cross country was perfect, and it was a great preparation for CCI 4* Burghley at the beginning of September.”

Phoenix, of Cannington, ON, sat in 14th place following dressage with a score of 57.8 riding her 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG) partner, the 13-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding Exponential. The pair added eight cross country time penalties which moved them up the leaderboard into ninth place following a fault free jumping round to finish with a score of 65.8. Follow WEG team member Kyle Carter of Calgary, AB, who resides in Sparr FL and Madison Park, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Carter and Jennifer Carter, finished in 12th place. All three competitors now head to the CCI 4* Land Rover Burghley Three Day Event taking place in GBR September 1-4, 2011.

Phoenix won the CCI 2* division with her second horse Pavarotti, Don Good’s nine-year-old Westphalian gelding. Holding down the first place spot from start to finish, Phoenix and Pavarotti earned a dressage score of 49.6. A faultless cross country performance and only one rail, for four faults, in jumping had the pair finish on a score of 53.6.

Ninth place in the CCI 2* division went to Canadian Maya Studenmund, who currently resides in Southern Pines, NC, riding Shear Mizou, a nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Cherry Knoll Farm. Katelyn Ziegler of Beiseker, AB, rode her own Peninsula Lion, a nine-year-old Irish Warmblood gelding to a 10th place finish while Liam Kronlund of Cochrane, AB and Good Gracious, the rider’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood Thoroughbred cross gelding rounded out the Canadian entries finishing the competition in 11th place.

James Atkinson of Mountain Road, MB, won the CIC 2* division riding Gustav, Carolyn Hoffos’ 12-year-old Oldenburg Thoroughbred cross gelding. With a score of 59.1 following dressage, the pair added only 2.8 cross country time penalties to finish with a score of 61.9. Atkinson also placed fifth in the CIC 2* riding Annie Oakley III, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare owned by Dayna M Lynd Pugh.

Karen Laidley who resides in Redmond, Oregon and her own Snow Globe Effect a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding the led the CIC 1* division from start to finish adding just one show jumping rail to their dressage score completing the competition on a score of 56.5. Rebecca Lee of Bon Accord, AB, finished in sixth place with Jaunty Star, Kimberly Hughes’ seven-year-old Irish Draught stallion, and seventh place went to Andi Mae Warner of Maple Ridge, BC, and Philght Plan, her own nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding.

In the CCI 1* division, Kathryn Morgan of South Surrey, BC, added 12 jumping faults to her dressage score for a fourth place finish, with 75.1 penalty points, riding Vishnu, her nine-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding. In fifth place, with a score of 75.9, was Kiyomi Foster of Surrey, BC, and her own Tasman Sea, a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Sixth place went to Chelan Kozak of South Surrey, ON, riding Escalade, Deja Leroux’s 11-year-old warmblood gelding, with a score of 78.7. Leah Breakey of Carstairs, AB, and Master Plan, the rider’s 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, placed 14th.